GRU To Pay Nearly $1 Million for Biomass Water Pipeline from Alachua

ALACHUA - Construction has begun on a nearly $1 million pipeline that will supply reclaimed water to Gainesville's new biomass power plant, which is set to go online by the end of this year.

According to the plant's consumptive use application, the biomass facility will require a total of 1.4 million gallons of water every day in order to operate.

In August of 2010, the nearby city of Alachua agreed to supply up to 600,000 gallons of reclaimed water to the biomass plant daily, so long as GRU paid for the pipeline's construction.

Alachua city officials say sending part of their reclaimed water supply to the plant means less fresh water will have to be pumped out of the Florida aquifer once the plant comes online.

A spokesperson for GRU said Alachua's wastewater facility is much closer than GRU's to the biomass plant. She also said that the $1 million price tag on the pipeline was a planned expense and was already budgeted for this fiscal year.

**Note: GRU is paying for the installation of the water pipeline. GREC, as the operator of the plant, is responsible for paying the fees associated with pumping the reclaimed water. The rates at which GREC will pay for that water are still being worked out with the city of Alachua.